Indian Antiquary Vol 62

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 145

JULY, 1933)
PLACES AND PEOPLES IN ASOKA'S INSCRIPTIONS
133
protectorates, and outside, is described. The outside area was composed of two classes, viz., (1) the countries to which imperial envoys were accredited, and (2) those countries which did not possess that political dignity. Some of the countries to whose courts Indian ambassadors were deputed are noted by the mention of their rulers by name in the case of the Greek sovereigns) or by the mention of the States (e.g., Choda, Pamda and Tambapaņi (Ceylon). 57 There were states where Asoka's envoys did not go ; and one of these must have been the Satiyaputra which is mentioned in R.P. II, but is omitted in R.P. XIII from the list of the higher international states. The enumeration of the states in India follows a geographical order. The Satiyaputra state is placed between Kerala and Pândya, and we can be certain of its position as being in the Tinnevelly district. satur (old form Satiyir) in that district probably marks their capital. It was in this district that was situated the port of Korkai or Kolkai, near the mouth of the Tamraparņi river, whence vessels sailed for Ceylon. The states in (6) to (e) are definitely named, and are implied to be ambassadorial states. The states in (e), i.o., in Europe and Africa, are given, evidently, in the order of their individual importance.
Ashashu.' (c) Bihler's and Hultzsch's reading] has been translated thus (Hultzsch, p. 70) :
"even as far as at (the distance of) six hundred yojanas, where the Yona
king named Antiyoka (is ruling), and (d) thus :
"and beyond this Antiyoka (where) four-4-kings (are ruling). ..." Ashashu pi is taken as d-shashu pi, and rendered "even as far as six." There are serious objections to this interpretation. Pi is after ashashu, and not after yojana-shateshu. Why should six' be emphasised! If distance was to be stressed, then why was not the greater distance of the countries beyond that of Antiochus given! Then, we have a falat Kalyi, not
a l; if a (up to,' as far as ') was intended, we would expect á, as in R.P.II (Girnar: a-Tambapani), and in R.P. IV (Dhauli : d-kapam). Excluding Kharosthi versions, where long d is always omitted, we have nowhere a used for d, and everywhere å given in full force (Pillar II : &-pana). As Asoka's Conquest of Dharma' certainly extended beyond 600 yojanas, there would be no sense in giving the lesser distance of the place where Antiochus lived or ruled if distance was to be emphasised.
Correet Roading : Ashurshu. The second letter is not sha, but shri. See the plate of Shahbâzgarhi (Hultzsch, pp. 68-69).58 The u- mark to the first sh at Månserå is also clear; it is only a little more slanting and a little irregular (see Hultzsch's plate opposite p. 84). Its third and last occurrence at Kalsi (plate. p. 50, line 6) has a very thin tail to the bottom of sh. We have thus at Shahbazgashi and Månserå Ashuo, and at Kalsi, Ash(u)'. Further we may distinguish on the top of the second sh at Kalsi a wavy horizontal line, distinguishable more easily in the plate of Bühler (E.I., II, p. 460), and a clear r added to the bar of the second sh at Shahbazgashi and Mansera. The complete word, thus, is Ashurshu, and the base Ashur.
Now Ashur or Ashu should be in a position from where 'beyond 'which) one could get into the territories of the four neighbouring kings' (ami pa-tájáno, 69 Girnar; samanta lájáne, Dhauli und Jaugada). Such a position would be the sea-coast of Syria or Asia Minor, but as the first neighbour of Antiochus is the king of Egypt in the inscriptions, we have to take the country of Ashur as Syria, and probably not Assyria. Here, as in Herodotus, Syria is called Ashur (Assyria), not Shur.
67 Tambapant is undoubtedly Ceylon. According to Hindu geography, Tamraparna (Tdmravarna) wag & dvipa separated from India by ses (Matsya, Ch. 113; Vayu, Ch. 45, 70-78). The expression ava,
down to,' denotes that in the south (nicham) it was the southernmost state. The river Tamraparpi is in the Pandya country, and Panda is already separately mentioned. Megasthenes also has Taprobane for Ceylon (McCrindle, p. 62), which corresponde to Tambravan.
68 If Ashu is the form, it would correspond to the proper-name forms found in the cuneiform docu. ments of the reigns of Antiochus I and his father.
59 Not admipari ndjdno, as Hultzach roads. There is no annavdra; 860 plate, p. 4.